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(in her 40s)

Madonna’s 60th Birthday

If I was a proper writer, I would start this post my telling you about how much Madonna means to me. However, in all honesty I just find it hard to articulate. I did attempt to explain it in this post HERE. But you see, to put it succinctly, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her. Throughout her life and career she has defied the norm, enabled sexual expression for women and exuded unapologetic confidence. In a piece that Sali Hughes recently wrote, she quite rightly points out that Madonna is continuing to do this by redefining what it means to be a woman growing old and entering her 60s. The words icon, idol and legend and far too easily banded about these days, yet when it comes to our Madge, they quite rightly fit her perfectly.

So, in honour and in celebration of Madonna, I’m going to firstly take you through the different eras of Madonna. Then I’m going to give you my top 10 Madonna albums, on to a short note on her music videos and then end with my top 20 Madonna songs of all time. Spotify playlist at the end, as always.

Madonna Through the Ages:

Madonna as a child

Madonna as a teenager

Just before fame

“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay”

Madonna during the First Album era (1982/83)

Like a Virgin era (1984)

Like a Virgin tour (1985)

“Better to live one year as a tiger than a hundred years as a sheep”

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

Madonna & Sean Penn’s wedding day (1985)

Shanghai Surprise (1986)

True Blue era (1986)

Who’s That Girl (1987)

“I hope that I inspire women to believe in themselves, no matter where they come from; no matter what education they have; what particular background they come from”

Like a Prayer era (1989)

Dick Tracy (1990)

Vogue (1990)

Iconic. Blonde Ambition tour (1990)

“If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you’re always going to be disappointed.”

In Bed With Madonna (1991)

A League of Their Own (1992)

Erotica era (1992)

“Sick and perverted always appeals to me.”

Sex book (1992)

Bedtime Stories era (1994)

Evita (1996)

Ray of Light era (1998)

“Everyone probably thinks that I’m a raving nymphomaniac, that I have an insatiable sexual appetite, when the truth is I’d rather read a book.”

Madonna & Guy Ritchie’s wedding day (2000)

Music era (2000)

Die Another Day (2002)

American Life era (2003)

“We learn our lessons; we get hurt; we want revenge. Then we realize that actually, happiness and forgiving people is the best revenge.”

Confession on a Dance Floor era (2005)

Hard Candy era (2008)

MDNA era (2012)

Rebel Heart era (2015)

Celebrating her 59th Birthday with all 6 of her children (2017)

TOP ALBUMS:

10. Bedtime Stories (1994)

9. Music (2000)

8. I’m Breathless(1990) Shut up, I LOVE this album.

7. Rebel Heart (2015)

6. Like a Virgin (1984)

5. Madonna (1983)

4. True Blue (1986)

3. Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

2. Ray of Light (1998)

1. Like a Prayer (1989)

Madonna’s Worst Album: Hard Candy. What a crock of shit.

BEST VIDEO: Being the all round amazing artist that she is, it is of no surprise that Madonna’s music videos are also of good value. I’m a fan of her early videos especially the ones that told a story (Borderline, Papa Don’t Preach, Material Girl), I even love the simplicity of the low budget Lucky Star, then there’s her iconic videos (Like a Virgin, Frozen, La Isla Bonita and Express Yourself) and then there is the amazing Like a Prayer (both iconic and tells a story). However, my all time favourite Madonna video is the stylish, sexy and sensational Vogue.

“Don’t just stand there, Let’s get to it,

Strike a pose, There’s nothing to it,

Vogue.”

TOP 20 SONGS:

20. Material Girl(1985, no.3, Like a Virgin)

19. Falling Free (not released as a single, MDNA)

18. HeartBreakCity(not released as a single, Rebel Heart)

17. The Power of Goodbye(1998, no.6, Ray of Light)

16. Bad Girl(1993, no.10, Erotica)

15. Like A Virgin(1984, no.3, Like a Virgin)

14. La Isla Bonita(1987, no.1, True Blue)

13. Papa Don’t Preach(1986, no.1, True Blue)

12. Crazy For You(1985, no.2, Vision Quest)

11. Frozen (1998, no.1, Ray of Light)

10. Holiday(1983, no.2, Madonna)

9. Human Nature(1995, no.8, Bedtime Stories)

8. Borderline(1984, no.2, Madonna)

7. Promise to Try(1989, not released as a single, Like a Prayer)

6. Express Yourself(1989, no.5, Like a Prayer)

5. Hung Up (2005, no.1, Confessions on a Dance Floor)

4. Live to Tell(1986, no.2, True Blue)

3. Vogue(1990, no.1, I’m Breathless)

2. Ray of Light (1998, no.2, Ray of Light)

1. Like a Prayer (1989, no.1, Like a Prayer)

The one that almost made it: Living for Love (2014, no.26, Rebel Heart)

“Does somebody ask Steven Spielberg why he’s still making movies? Hasn’t he had enough success? Hasn’t he made enough money? Hasn’t he made a name for himself? Did somebody go to Pablo Picasso and say, “Okay, you’re 80 years old. Haven’t you painted enough paintings?” No, I’m so tired of that question. I just don’t understand it. I’ll stop doing everything that I do when I don’t want to do it anymore. I’ll stop when I run out of ideas. I’ll stop when you fucking kill me. How about that?”

Wow, that’s a lot of Madonna! I find it very interesting that she’s getting so much recognition in the media upon turning 60 (recognition that she deserves, but this kind of stuff doesn’t usually appear until an artist dies). I think that a lot of her music gets overlooked or dismissed, and she is often derided by the media. For what it’s worth, I think my favourite Madonna album is either her first one or erotica, and I made a little playlist today, too. https://mymasheduplife.com/2018/08/16/madonna-playlist/

Aargh Erotica almost made my top 10. It was between that and Bedtime Stories. It is a good album. Celebrating people’s artistry whilst they’re alive ensures it’s genuine praise. I think it says a lot about what someone has given to the world. Plus she gets to hear it all, which is wonderful.

Yes, I agree, praising an artist while they’re still alive is much better, and often more sincere, than doing it upon their death. Aretha Franklin died today, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of articles about her in the media in the days ahead.

I was OBSESSED with Madonna between the ages of 12 to 14 and she had a lot to do with my sexual awakening! My favourite song is probably ‘Like a Prayer’ (ex-Catholic here) and I think my top album is actually ‘Ray of Light’.

Hard to believe we all have the same number of hours in the day as Madonna (to hijack the Beyonce quote). Incredible amount of creative output. I find it impossible to keep still to Hung Up and Ray Of Light. But two songs that really move me, and I can’t explain why, are the slower Borderline and Crazy For You. My favourite Madonna story is from her Jonathan Ross interview, after her infamous cloak malfunction fall. After a comment along the lines of how many people saw her fall, live on TV, Madonna said ‘Yeah. Did you see me get back up?’ 😉